As You See It, Nov. 11, 2012: Sardines are well-managed

By

Santa Cruz Sentinel

Posted:
11/10/2012 04:52:31 PM PST

Updated:
11/11/2012 08:22:43 AM PST

Sardines are well-managed

Regarding the story on environmentalists objecting to 2013 sardine limits, I was at the Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting when this was discussed. There was no controversy among scientists over the setting of the 2013 sardine harvest limit.

Most of the discussion covered current sardine stock assessment, widely viewed to be already extremely precautionary. This is an "update" year, and while concerns were discussed neither scientists nor council had leeway to change policy.

The role of sardines as forage in our ecosystem is understood and they are managed accordingly. In 2011, for example, West Coast sardine fisheries harvested a mere 5.1 percent of a conservative stock estimate, leaving the rest for ecosystem needs.

Oceana raised concerns about the level of harvest, but their concerns have been considered and rejected by expert fisheries biologists, as sardine management is already conservative: When population numbers go down, the harvest also goes down; when the biomass goes up, more harvest is incrementally allowed. This is the way good fisheries management works.

Steve Scheiblauer, Santa Cruz

Rotkin has lost it on desal issue

Mike Rotkin's obsessive, mean-spirited and arrogant diatribes concerning Measure P and all those who question the construction of a desalination plant are not only inappropriate, but an embarrassment to those who have supported you over the past decades. Please silence yourself on this issue.

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Former Mike Rotkin supporters,

Jeremy and Marion Shonick, Santa Cruz

Republicans' message rejected

Listening to right-wing talk-show commentators after the election would lead one to believe that the only reason for the president being re-elected is because those of us who voted for him are and love being dependent upon the government. They imply that over 61 million Americans voted for President Obama only because we "get government goodies."

Do Republicans really believe that seniors who have worked for 40 years and are now receiving Social Security and Medicare and don't want to destroy those programs they have paid into are "takers"? Do they believe that war veterans receiving disability or unemployment checks are "moochers"? Do they believe that reducing the cost of student loans will lead those students to a lifetime of dependency?

No, Republicans lost because of messaging. Their message of rancor, division, class, gender, and race lost the election. The majority of Americans simply didn't agree with their positions.

John Beisner, Boulder Creek

Democrats have the advantage

Republicans are still in shock from President Obama's re-election, something that is easily explained with hindsight; it's the economy, stupid! The American voter has never really understood why the economy melted down and why the recession is dragging out so long. The Democrats have had it easy as they didn't have to explain anything; just blame Bush. The voters saw Obama propping up some businesses and wanting to raise taxes, but the Republicans really offered nothing in response except cut taxes and reduce regulations; since this was the policy of the Republican Party and Bush, the voter was not offered any explanation on why this would work since it was the policy at the time of the economic failure. The American voter may not ever understand an inter-bank transfer or a mortgage derivative, but until the Republicans take the time to argue it wasn't Bush, the Democrats will always have the advantage.

Brad Goodwin, Santa Cruz

Tax those pumping oil from California

California is a state possessing large oil reserves without an oil-separation tax. Texas earmarks their 7 percent oil-separation tax for higher education. California is the only oil-extracting state without such a tax.

Now that California has supermajorities in the Senate and the Assembly and a Democratic governor, son of the man who helped make our higher education the envy of the world, creating a safe haven for higher education is not only possible, it is essential.

Such legislation might also have limits on the amount spent on administration, and earmarked toward reducing tuition and other fees to ensure the money is spent on education and not on a bloated bureaucracy.

And why not? We spend more on prisons and "public safety" than on education. Tolstoy said it best: "We take the depraved and place them with the more depraved, raising them to the highest pitch of depravity, and then we unleash them on the land as if this were society's original intention."

It is time to change our priorities.

Hugh McIsaac, Santa Cruz

Thanks for the legal help

I live in a home by myself. A serial squatter answered my ad on Craigslist and he made me believe, through the way he spoke, that he was a man worthy of my trust. Shortly after he moved in, I began to get scared.

I went to see a legal friend who suggested that a state statute states that a person living alone in their home with a boarder shall be treated differently than ordinary landlord tenant eviction procedures. A simple, certified 30-day notice is all that's required, and at the end, the boarder instead of tenant would be considered trespassing.

For the first time in Santa Cruz history, the statute was supported. Thank you to the county counsel, the legal team from the Sheriff's Office, Judge Paul Marigonda and the support of the Santa Cruz Sheriff's Office and my genius legal team who helped the removal of the scary, disrespectful man from my home.

Valerie Lasciak, Santa Cruz

GOP heading in wrong decision

As a Republican for most of my voting life, I'm disgusted by the current direction of the GOP. Once a group that represented the principle of small government, personal responsibility and free enterprise, it's been infiltrated by an assortment of extremists, fanatics, haters and obstructionists. The GOP leadership will now run back to their foxholes to figure out what happened. Based on their rhetoric during this election, I fear they won't reach the right conclusion. Let me help: Stop just saying "no." Lawmaking requires compromise -- it's not a football game. Small effective government should be the goal. If you want anarchy, join the Libertarians. Dump the freaks: Bachmann, Akin, Palin, Mourdock. You can't govern if you're a carnival sideshow. Our economy is going through a major transition. This can't be addressed by simply handing us a tax cut and saying, "Go figure something out by yourself. Good luck."

Tom Miller, Scotts Valley

Students get lesson in politics

I had to chuckle when I read the article "UC, Cal students protest fees, even after Proposition 30 passes." These students were naive enough to believe politicians' promises that were made merely to gain their votes. Those of us who have been around a bit longer know that politicians will promise you whatever you want to gain your vote, then do whatever they please once they get it. It's a hard lesson to learn.

James Lewis, Santa Cruz

Safeway in it for the money

I remember when they first remodeled the Aptos Safeway and how nice it was. Then came the Capitola and Mission Street locations. Now they are going to remodel Aptos again? What happened to remodeling the Morrissey location now that Staff of Life has moved. Priorities? Don't be fooled. Safeway is in it for the money, not the community.

Greg Haws, Santa Cruz

Nob Hill strikers beyond selfish

If the strikers are so unhappy, why don't they just quit? I'm sure a bunch of the Santa Cruz unemployed would be glad to step up. I don't think the strikers know how good they have things. What about the service providers and DSD delivery folks that cannot work or service their store while they are on strike? Their selfishness reaches far beyond their own demands at a time when so many have so little.

Gary Patterson, Watsonville

Head to Texas

Ken Sovey of Soquel rips the Sentinel for reporting plight of college students and rips "socialist" Paul Krugman, who reports economic reality and facts. "Leftist, political indoctrination," says Mr. Sovey. Poor Mr. Sovey says he doesn't get "justice" for his labors. Sad. Sad. Sad. Pines for Texas. Good. Go!